These last few days of summer vacation seem to be sailing away so quickly! Oh, how we have enjoyed having this time with our family! This week's recipes include some of our family favorites and some from our SAIL-ebration Dinner (which are quickly becoming new family favorites!).
Old Mexican Inn (OMI) Dip
This dip is one of our family's favorites! It is Lily and Layla approved as they can't get enough of it!
Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise
3 tsp. white vinegar
3 tsp. garlic powder
5 tsp. paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. You will want to make sure that it is chilled for several hours because it will need time for the flavors to meld together, trust me!
Yield: 2 cups of the best dip ever! Serve with your choice of tortilla chips.
Pop's Vanilla Cupcakes
This vanilla cupcake recipe is tried and true as it always wows our guests!
Vanilla Cupcake
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup milk
1/2 vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan with liners
Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine. Set aside.
Add milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs to a medium mixing bowl and combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Note that the batter will be very thin.
Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Pipe buttercream frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine (3 sticks)
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
3 lb. powdered sugar (10 1/2 cups to 11 cups)
1 Tbsp. clear vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Combine butter and shortening in the bowl of electric mixer.
Using the paddle attachment , beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add half of the powdered sugar and continue beating on low speed for an additional 2 minutes, or until the mixture is creamy , scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed. Add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy, about two minutes more. Add any food coloring, if using, and beat on low speed until light and fluffy or until color is incorporated.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.
This recipe makes about 9 cups so you will have extra for other baking projects.
Our Summer Salad
This vibrant salad combines fresh full flavors and is one of our new favorites.
Ingredients:
Salad
1 lb. of yellow and red cherry tomatoes in halves
1 cucumber, sliced
2 avocados, diced
1/3 cup purple onion, diced
8 ounces small fresh mozzarella cheese balls
Dressing
1/4 cup basil pesto
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In large bowl, combine halved yellow and red tomatoes, diced avocados, sliced cucumber, diced purple onion and fresh mozzarella cheese balls.
Add basil pesto and lemon juice to the salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. More basil pesto can be added if needed.
Yields: 6 servings
Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs
These kabobs are quite simple and make the perfect summer meal.
Ingredients:
18 large shrimp, deveined and peeled
12 fresh pineapple pieces, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
6 skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for about 30 minutes)
Directions:
Lay out the shrimp and pineapple out on a cutting board.
Assemble the shrimp (3 per skewer) and pineapple (2 per skewer) on the skewers.
In small bowl, mix the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey and pepper.
Add the 6 skewers to a large strong zipper plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the skewers in the bag.
Marinate the shrimp and the pineapple skewers for 30 to 45 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium heat.
Remove marinated kabobs from bag and grill for 5 to 8 minutes or until shrimp starts to turn pink. Flip once.
Serve skewers over rice pilaf.
Yields: Six Tasty Skewers of Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple
Best Ever Key Lime Cheesecake
This cheesecake recipe is a show stopper and will certainly wow your guests. We will definitely be serving this again in September as Ethan has asked for it to be his birthday cake. We're not complaining because it is one of our favorites as well!
Ingredients:
Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp butter melted
Cheesecake
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup lime juice
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Whipped Cream
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 to 3 small limes sliced and halved for garnish
strawberries and raspberries for garnish
Directions:
Crust
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
In mixing bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Stir until the butter coats all of the crumbs.
Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
Place in the oven and let bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Cheesecake
In mixing bowl add the cream cheese and granulated sugar. Using the paddle attachment on medium mix until ingredients are completely incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue mixing to avoid any lumps of cream cheese in batter.
Add in the eggs one at a time. Beat in each egg completely before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl after adding each egg.
Add in the key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust.
Place the springform pan in a slightly larger baking pan. Fill the outer pan with about an inch of water.
Place in the oven at 325 degrees and let bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Turn off the heat and crack the oven door slightly. Let cool in oven for 2 hours until it reaches room temperature. Take a knife and run around the edge before releasing the springform pan.
Place in refrigerator to chill overnight.
Whipped Cream
In a mixing bowl, add in the heavy cream. Beat until soft peaks form.
Add in the powdered sugar. Continue to beat until it becomes thick and stiff peaks form.
Add the whipped cream into a piping bag and pip the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake.
Garnish with lime slices, strawberries and raspberries.
Yields: 8 servings
We hope you are enjoying your last moments of summer! We can't wait for you to try these recipes for your celebrations! We know your family will love them as well!
Cue the confetti, y'all!
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